Buttonhole cutting and stitching machine.



No. 743,213. PATENTED Nov. a, 1903.

E. B. ALLEN. BUTTONHOLE CUTTING AND STITGHI'NG MACHINE.

. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1131903. No MODEL. '3 SHEETS-SHEET 1'.

k f m FIL Q w m l w@ mwN Ss w. O T a m s WQ 1 @NN m x E; k@ n w. /x\\\\\ N Q m w m @N QN W n .No. 743,213. PATEN'IED NOV. 3, 1903.

A E. B.`ALLEN.

BUTTONHOLE CUTTING AND STITCH-ING MACHINE.

y APPLIUATION FILED JUNE y11, 190s. NoMoDEL. s SHEETS-SHEET a.

PATENT@ Nov. s, 1903.

E. B. ALLEN. BUTTONHOLE CUTTING AND STITCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11,1903. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

iro. 743,213;

UNITED STATES Fatented November 3, 1903.

PAIENT OFFICE.

EDWARD B. ALLEN, OF ELIZABETH, NEW` JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BUTTONHOLE CUTTING AND STITCHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,213, dated November 3, 1903.

Application filed June 11i 1903.

ments on the buttonhole-cutting mechanism shown and described in my application Serial No. 150,771, led April 2, 1903, and relating to a buttonhole-cutting mechanism in which the buttonhole-cutter is given its cutting strokes by the stop motion mechanism of the machine through suitable connections.

The present invention has for its object to simplify the stop motion actuated cutting mechanism heretofore employed by me as also to improve the same by providing such a construction and arrangement of parts that the buttonhole-` cutter will be normally disconnected from its actuating mechanism, so that in the normal operation of the machine the stopmotion lever may be tripped, if desired, at any point in the buttonhole-stitching operation excepting just at or near the completion of the buttonhole without operating the cutter and Without any care on the part of the attendant, and the stop-,motion lever may even be tripped at its normal time at the completion of a buttonhole stitching operation without actuating the cutter if the connecting-lever be restrained manually by the attendant from making its connection.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a buttonhole cutting and stitching machine embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrative of the stopmotion-tripping device. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the cutter operating lever in operative connection with its actuating-lever and with the parts in the positions they assume when the cutter-bar is depressed for cutting a buttonhole. Fig. 5 is a detail plan serial No. 161.001. (No model.)

View of the machine, and Fig; 8 a detail View to show the stop-motion cam.

The stop-motion device of the present ma chine comprises a lever l0l,pivotally mounted on center screws 5, tapped in ears 6 on the arm 3 of the machine, said lever carrying a vertically-movable rod or plunger 102, coperating with a cam 103, rotatingwith the pulley 104, fast on the driving-shaft 4 of the ma-` chine, and adjacent to which fast pulley is a loose pulley 105. The lever 101 is provided with a belt-shifting arm 106 and with a second arm 107, to which is connected a treadleoperated rod 108. The rod 102 is pressed upward by a spring 109 encircling said rod, and the upper end of said rod is fitted to enter a notch 110, formed in the cam 103. The cam 103 is yieldingly connected with the fast pulley 104 through a spring 64 in the manner fully described in United States PatentNo. 541,276, so as to soften or cushion the impact of the stopping operation.

The stop-motion lever 101 is held in an inoperative position when the machine is running against the stress of the spring 111 by a springpressed latch or lever 112, which enters a notch formed in the rod 108, and the feed-wheel is provided with a tripping-lug 61, which is arranged to engage a toe-piece 113 on the said latch or lever 112 when the machine is to be stopped and the buttonhole cut. The toe-piece 113 is preferably formed on a plate 62, adjustably secured to the latch or lever 112, so as to vary the timing of the tripping action of the stop-motion device to accommodate different lengths `of button- IOO chine, and connected by a link 140 with the forward end of an operating-lever 141, fulcrumed to the arm 3. The cutter-operating lever 141 is provided at its rear end with a stud or pin 75, entering a slot 76, formed in a link 65, jointed at its lower end to the forward end of an actuating-lever 66,'mounted on the vertical part of the arm 3, and having at its rear end a slot 67, entered by a pin or rollerstud 68, carried by an arm 69, extending laterally frolnV the vertically-movable rod 102 of the stop-motion device.

Iivotally mounted on the link 65 is a connecting-lever 70, having at its upper end a notch 7l, adapted to engage the stud 75 on the cutter-operating lever 141, and the said connectinglever is also provided with a rightangular arm 72 and with a pin 73, which latter is connected by a spring 74 with a fixed pin S4.

Mounted on the arm 3 is a bracket 85, which supports a latch-lever 86, provided with astud 87, held by a spring 88 in contact with a cam 89 on a vertical shaft 90, 011 the lower end of which is mounted the feed-wheel 60. latch-lever S6 is provided with a toe-piece 91, against which when the circular portion of the cam 89 is passing the'stud 87 rests the arm 72 of the connecting-lever 7 0, so as to hold the notch 71 of said lever away from the stud 75, as shown in Fig. 1; but when the peripheral projection of the said cam S9 engages said stud S7 said toe-piece will be withdrawn from beneath said arm 72, (see dotted lines,

Fig. 5,) and the spring 74 will then draw the notched part of said connecting-lever into engagement with the stud 75, as shown in Fig. 4, thus connecting the actuating-lever 66 with the cutter-operating lever 141. The cam 89 on the feed-wheel shaft 90 is so timed that its peripheral projection will engage the stud 87 just before the stop-motion lever 101 is tripped by the lug 61 on the feed-wheel 60 at the completion of the stitching and barring of a buttonhole.

As heretofore indicated, it is sometimes desirable in case a thread should break to stop the machine during a buttonhole-stitching operation, and in such case it is desirable to avoid operatingthe buttonhole-cutter from the stop-motion device. With the construction and arrangement of parts just above described it will be understood that the connecting-lever 70 will be held in the inoperative position (shown in Fig. 1) during nearly the entire buttonhole-stitching operation, so that if the stop motion device should be tripped to stop the machine during the time the said connectinglever isthus held inoperative the slotted link 65 would follow the movements of the forward end of the actuating-lever 66 idly and without imparting any movement to the cutter-operating lever 141, owing to the free or idle movement of the slotted portion of the said link relative to the stud 7 5 on the said operating-lever 141. The

small peripheral projection of the cam 89 is The vlever 66 descends after abuttonhole has been cut the said arm 72 will engage the saidy toepiece 91, and thereby cause the said connecting-lever to assume its inoperative position, (shown in Fig. 1,) and in which position the lever 141 will be operatively disconnected from the stop-motion mechanism until the latch-lever S6 is next tripped by the cam 89.

If it be'desired to stop the machine during a buttonhole-stitching operation and before the stop-motion device would normally be automatically released bythe tripping-lug 61 on the feed-wheel 60, as hereinbefore described,the stop-motion device can be tripped manually by the hand-lever 7 7 the forward part 78 of which is arranged to impinge against the latch-lever 112,and thus withdraw said latch-lever from holding engagement with the notched rod 108.

If it be desired to stop the machine without operating the buttonhole cutter during the time the peripheral projection of the cam 89 is in contact with the stud 87 and the lever is in its connecting position, the attendant manually draws forward or displaces said lever from its connecting position by pulling on the pin 7 3 against the stress of the spring 74.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the present invention provides a buttonhole-cutting mechanism in. which the cutter is given positive cutting strokes from the stop-motion mechanism of the machine, but in which the cutter is normally disconnected from the stop-motion device, excepting for an instant before the buttonhole-cutting oper' ation is to occur, so that during almost the entire buttonhole stitching operation the stop-motion lever may be tripped, if desired, tor stop the machine, but without operating the cutter, and even during the short period in a buttonhole-stitchin g operation when the cutter-operating lever is normally in connection with the stop-motion mechanism, this connection may be broken manually by the attendant if desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a buttonhole cutting and stitching machine, the combination with a stop-motion device and a buttonhole-cutter, of a connecting device between said stop-motion device and cutter, means for normally holding said connecting device in an inoperative or disconnected position during nearly the entire period of the stitching of a buttonhole, and

IIO

means for causing said connecting device to assume a connecting position, so as to operatively join said stop-motion device and cutter, just before the stop-motion isto be automatically tripped to stop the machine.

2. In a buttonhole cutting and stitching machine, the combination with a stop-motion device and a buttonhole-cntter, of a connecting device between said stop-motion device and cutter, means for normally holding said connecting device in an inoperative or disconnected position during nearly the entire period of the stitching of a buttonhole, means for causing said connecting device to assume a connecting position, so as to operatively join said stopmotion device and cutter, just before the stop-motion is to be automatically tripped to stop the machine, and a manual device by which the stop-motion device may be tripped or released bythe attendant so as to stop the machine at any desired period during the stitching` of a buttonhole.

3. In a buttonhole cutting` and stitching machine, the combination with a stop-motion device and a buttonhole-cutter, of a connecting device between said stop-motion device and cutter, means for normally holding said connecting device in an inoperative or disconnected position during nearly the entire o period of the stitching of a buttonhole, and

a cam, rotating with the feed-wheel, for releasing said holding means, to permit said connecting device to assume its operative or connecting position, just before the stop-motion is to be automatically tripped to stop the machine.

4. In a buttonhole cutting and stitching machine, the combination with a stop-motion device and a buttonhole-cutter, of a connecting device between said stop-motion device and cutter, means for normally holding said connecting device in an inoperative or disconnected position during nearly the entire period of the stitching of a buttonhole, a cam, rotating with the feed-wheel, for releasing said holding means, to permit said connecting device to assume its operative or connecting position, just before the stop-motion is to be automatically tripped to stop the machine, and a manual device by which the stop-motion device may be tripped or released by the attendant so as to stop the machine at any desired period during the stitching of a buttonhole. V

In testimony whereof l aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD B. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. MILLER, HENRY A. KORNEMANN. 

